Syndactyly – joined digits

Syndactyly means ‘joined digits’ and may involve webbing of the skin, or fusion of the underlying bones. This may be along part, or the whole length, of the finger. It is the second most common congenital hand problem and occurs in around 1 in 1,000 births.

Hand development occurs in the early stages of pregnancy and the fingers separate in the ninth week. Syndactyly happens when two or more fingers fail to completely separate during development.

Sometimes Syndactyly occurs by chance or it may be inherited. In rare circumstances, it may occur along with other signs as part of a syndrome (collection of signs).

Syndactyly can occur unilaterally (on one hand only) or bilaterally (affecting both hands), and can affect two or more fingers. Occasionally it may be associated with extra digits or other abnormalities in the hands.

Syndactyly can also affect the toes, involving webbing of the skin or fusion of the underlying bones along part or the whole length of the toe.

What is the outlook for children with Syndactyly? This depends on the degree of Syndactyly and whether it occurred by chance or as part of a syndrome. The outlook for children with simple Syndactyly is usually excellent. If the Syndactyly occurred as part of a syndrome, the outlook depends on the particular syndrome and associated features.

This information was sourced from Great Ormond Street Hospital

For mor information visit Great Ormond Street Hospital or Reach